How We Got Here
by GRIFFLEKIN
Summary: Twelve years after high school, the boys come to an understanding of how they got where they are. ZM, CL
1. Chapter 1

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: How We Got Here

by Grifflekin

Twelve years after high school, the boys come to an understanding of how they beat the odds to get where they are. Zack/Maddie, Cody/London

Fiction Rated: K+

Disclaimer: I do not own TSLOZAC, but you can sue me anyway because I don't own anything, so you won't be able to collect on any judgments.

Chapter One-Us Cody's POV

Hi. My name is Cody Martin. I am 29 years and 13 months old. After 4 years of college (B.S.), 3 years of Med. School, 2 years of internship and finally, 2 years of residency, I am now a board certified Pediatrician licensed to practice medicine in the state of Massachuesetts.

I have a twin brother, Zack, who is 30 years and one month old. As he was born 15 minutes before me, he is my older brother, and he doesn't hesitate to remind me of this at every opportunity. What is my brother doing? Three to five as a guest of the state, but he's due to be released on parole this week.

Just kidding.

When we were little, I was always saying that I would need a lot of money so that I could bail him out of jail. Don't get me wrong. Zack never did have an evil bone in his body, but boy could he get into trouble with his harebrained schemes and practical jokes (which I was usually the butt of.) But he's always been a great guy, a good older brother and my best friend. As my "older" brother, he felt that he had to protect me, and, well, he did.

As a child, I was what you could call "sensitive." Which means that I was afraid of my own shadow. If we watched a scary movie, I would be subject to nightmares and would wake up diapheretic and screaming in a state of hysteria.

Wow, did I say that? It makes me sound like a doctor. :-)

Anyway, Zack would come to me, get into bed with me and hold me in his arms until I was asleep. I knew that as long as I had Zack's arms around me, I would always be safe.

Zack studied pre-law in college, and went to Harvard Law School. Full scholarship. More than that, he was on the Dean's List both in college and Law school. We were amazed that he was accepted, given his record in school. We couldn't explain this, but were grateful for the opportunity he got.

After law school, Zack accepted a position as a deputy district attorney with the City of Boston and quickly distinguished himself in that position.

So now you know who we are and a little of our background...


	2. Chapter 2

How We Got Here

by Grifflekin

Chapter Two

Cody's POV

Our parents were divorced when we were 12 and we lived with our mother in an old apartment in South Boston. After the divorce, Mom worked as a waitress in a coffee shop to help make ends meet, but she was a singer. She would pick up a gig here and there, and this also helped, but was unable to accept a full time position as a singer beacause it would require travel. With me and my fellow albatross around her neck, she could not do it.

On one of her singing gigs, she heard that the Tipton hotel was looking for a cabaret singer for one of its rooms. She made an appointment with the hotel manager to audition for the position and was told to come in on monday morning at 10 am and he would interview her.

That night, she told us about the job interview. We were overjoyed to hear about it, but she didn't seem to be excited over it.

"Way to be happy about it, Mom," Zack said, sarcastically.

"Boys," Mom said. "Your mother is not as young and pretty as she used to be and I can't get my hopes up."

I could not understand this attitude as a 13 year old. Mom was tall and slender with beautiful blonde hair and a clear complexion which, unlike the mothers of our friends, required little makeup. And she had the voice of an angel and I told her this.

"You got it going on, Mom," quipped my greasy brother.

Mom burst into tears and hugged us, then hit Zack in the back of his head.

"I got what going where?" she asked, and the three of us almost fell down laughing.

After two long, very jittery days, it was Monday, and Zack and I went off to school. At the door, we kissed Mom and wished her good luck.

A/N: Sorry this is so short, but the next one will be a lot longer. Meanwhile, it is now feeding time for authors, so please press the button and feed me.


	3. Chapter 3

How We Got Here

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, but maybe I have a chance at Muriel?

Carey's POV

Flashback

_It's 8:15, that gives me an hour and three quarters to shower, dress, and drive to the hotel. Calm down, you have plenty of time to get there. You can't afford to be late. This job would make it possible to get the boys out of this hell hole and into decent housing and better schools. Please Dear God...Please Dear God..._

_Jump into the shower. Dry off. Dry hair and go into bedroom. Clothing laid out on bed. Dress and apply makeup. Please God. Please God. Check yourself in the mirror. Brown suit. White Shirt. Brown pumps. Looks good. Please God..._

_9:00. that gives me 1 hour to get to the hotel and park the car. Thank You God._

_Okay, check purse: phone, wallet, cash...keys...keys..WHERE DID I LEAVE THE KEYS??? Don't panic, you're almost there. Coat Pocket? Yes!!!! Put on coat. Go out and lock door. Go across street to car. Get in and put on seat belt. Start car._

_NOOOOOO! It won't start! Phone in purse Oh Please God. Call taxi on speed dial._

"Hello, I need a cab from 277 Celtic Ave. to the Tipton Hotel. Please hurry. Five minutes? Thank you!"

_Get out of car and lock door. Stop and breathe. Here comes the cab. Thank You, God. _

"Lady, you called for a cab to the Tipton?"

"Yes, please."

"Hop in."

_9:25. Should be able to make it in time._

_9:50. Here it is. Pay driver. Doorman's helping me out of the cab. Now he's going to the main door to open it for me. Remember manners._

"Thank you."

_Ten minutes to spare. _

End Flashback

The lobby was overwhelming. I had never seen anything like it. It was beautiful. Oriental carpet, brass railing, marble steps, the furniture. It all took my breath away. It would be a joy to come here to work.

I spotted a candy counter and decided that I'd better get some breath mints, just to be on the safe side.

"Can I help you?" said the very pretty blond girl behind the counter.

"Yes please," I said. "Do you have any breath mints?"

"Of course," she said. "Only the best. Spearmint, peppermint, or cinnamint?"

"Peppermint," I said. I paid for them and she gave me change.

"Thank you," I said. "Could you tell me where to find the manager?"

"Sure," she said. She pointed to the reservation desk. "That's him on the left."

As I walked over to the desk, I popped two mints into my mouth. Boy, how I'd wished they were Valium instead.

"Are you the manager?" I asked. He was a pleasant looking black man with a shaved head, and was wearing a dark blue pinstriped suit. He looked like he'd stepped out of G.Q.

"Marion Moseby," he said. "How may I help you?"

"My name is Carey Martin, and I have an appointment for an interview with you."

"Ah, Mrs. Martin," he said. "You're right on time. I like that." He led me around the desk to a door which was to his office. He took my hand and directed me to a chair alongside his desk.

"Mrs. Martin," he said. "You look to me like you are very nervous. No need to be. On Saturday, I received a call from Peter Hayden. He said that he mentioned this position to you. I have known Peter for about 20 years. As a teenager, he worked here as a bell-hop. I have followed his career and we have been friends all these years. I have come to the rely on his judgment in matters such as this. If he tells me that I would be foolish to let you get away, and I believe him. So relax. You have more than a foot in the door."

"Thank you for telling me, Mr. Moseby," I said. "I had no idea that Pete was so well-connected. I'll have to thank him for his confidence in me."

"As a matter of procedure, I have arranged for a pianist to play for your audition," he said. "I have also enlisted the aid of the hotel owner's daughter, London Tipton to listen to you. She has a good ear for music, So if you would just follow me, we will go over to the lounge to hear what you have to offer."

He led me out of the office and across the lobby to the marble steps and past the elevators to a corridor that opened to a nice sized dining room (about forty tables) with a small stage on the left. Adjacent to that was a large bar. A nice older gentleman was seated at the piano talking to a young Asian girl. As we approached the stage, Mr. Moseby introduced the piano player.

"George, this is Carey Martin," he said. "Carey, this delightful young lady is London Tipton."

"What would you like to sing for us today, Mrs. Martin?" George asked.

"Do you know 'Danny Boy'?" I asked. "And please, call me Carey."

"Yes, Carey," he said. "But do you think it wise to attempt a piece that is so difficult that few singers are able to carry it off?"

"George," I said. "I've sung at more Irish Pubs on Paddy's Day than I care to remember. I want this job badly and I feel that I'd better show what I can do."

George turned to the piano and began to play the intro. I stopped him.

"George, could you raise that two octaves?"I asked. He looked at Moseby and let out a low whistle. Mr. Moseby raised his eyebrows and shrugged. George began to play again.

I closed my eyes and took two deep breaths as he played the intro and didn't open them again until after the last note.

"Well, London," Moseby asked. "What do you think?"

"If she can sing that, she can sing anything."

"George, what do you say?" Moseby asked.

"What she said," George replied.

"Thank you both," Moseby said as he turned to me. "Carey, I guess my search for a cabaret singer appears to be at an end, so if you'll come with me back to my office, we will discuss your salary package."

I followed him back to his office almost in tears. My legs were made of rubber.

Moseby's P.O.V.

I really have to thank Pete for this. I had never hoped to get someone this good. That lounge had been losing money despite the fact that we have a three-star restaurant. This girl was a godsend. Punctual, well-groomed, understated makeup. _Moseby, you're a genius_, I thought. This attraction would really turn things around.

"Mrs. Martin, if you'd please resume your seat," I said as I walked around to my desk and opened the side drawer for our new hire packet.

"Carey, I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse. First off, you will receive a two-year contract at a salary of thirty thousand per annum. I know that that is not a lot of money, but the rest of the package should more than make up for it. Benefits such as medical, dental, et cetera will be paid through your union at our expense and you will be able to earn extra by performing at other events such as weddings and conventions. Do you own your own home?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "I have an apartment that I am looking to get out of."

"Well," I said. "In that case, as part of your compensation, you will be given a suite here at the hotel. Nothing grand, mind you, but adequate. You will be given a clothing allowance of $2000 in the beginning and $300 a month thereafter, also a room service allowance of $800 a month. I trust that this will induce you to come work for us at the Tipton?"

"Yes."

I handed her the hiring packet and directed her to the small meeting room next door so that she could fill out the employment forms.

There, now. That's a bit longer. And I'm still hungry, so please push the little button and feed me?


	4. Chapter 4

How We Got Here

by Griffelkin

Disclaimer: I do not own The Suite Life with Zack and Cody, and unfortunately, I don't own Muriel either.

Chapter Four.

Carey's P.O.V.

I put the forms on the desk and sat down and cried. This was so much more than I could have dreamed of. I heard a knock at the door and in came a bell hop. He was young, olive-skinned, with lots of teeth.

"My name is Esteban," He said. "Mr. Moseby told me that you have been hired as a cabaret singer, and will be moving into the hotel. He gave me the key to your suite and I will be taking you to it when you finish those forms. In the meantime, here is the room service menu so that you can have lunch as Mr. Moseby's guest. Please write down your choice, and I will be back in a few minutes. Why are you crying?"

"Esteban," I said. "You have no idea what I've been through since my divorce. This job is more than I could hope for."

He handed me his hanky. "I'll be right back," he said.

I looked at the menu and decided on a turkey and swiss on rye with mayo and a bottled water. Then, I attacked the forms with a passion. Esteban returned and took my lunch order while I was at it.

Lunch came and I ate like I had been starving for a week. After lunch I gathered the forms and went out to give them to Mr. Moseby at the desk. He accepted the forms and asked for my driver's license and social security card.

"Just a formality. I have to make copies of these to prove that you're in the country legally," Moseby said.

As he went back into his office to make the copies, I looked around and saw Esteban and London at the candy counter talking to the blond girl and looking in my direction. Then, Mr. Moseby came out of his office and returned my ID and hit the bell on the front desk three times. Esteban came running over with a smile on his face.

"Esteban, would you take Mrs. Martin up to her suite and then come right back? I have other things for you to do," Mr. Moseby said.

"Yes, sir."

We walked over to the elevator and when we entered, he pushed the button for the 23rd floor.

"Gosh," I said. "I hope I don't get a nose bleed up that high." He laughed. When the elevator stopped, we turned left and past two doors. At the third door, he took out a security card from his pocket and ran it through the slot to open the door. When he flicked the switch, I walked in behind him and stood there.

"Carey, please breathe before you pass out and more crying. Once is enough," he said. H e handed me the key card and said, "Now I must go downstairs or else Mr. Moseby will yell at me. Please turn the key in at the desk and see Mr. Moseby before you leave." Then, he left.

To the left of the door was a small kitchen with a sink, stove, microwave, and refrigerator. In front of that was a table with four chairs. To the right of the table was a door. I opened it and found the bathroom. Granite floor, whirlpool spa tub trimmed in granite going to the ceiling. Granite shower stall with multiple adjustable heads at various heights. The opposite wall had double sinks and the commode had glass brick partitions for privacy. This is a luxury hotel.

Next to the room was another door. It was the bedroom. It had a queen sized bed. I made a mental note to ask Mr. Moseby to replace it with twin beds. Outside the bedroom was a living room with two armchairs and a table lamp between them. The couch in front of the table was opposite a shelf unit with a 32 inch plasma TV. Windows on the other side of the wall unit and a cocktail table completed the furniture. I sat on the couch and noted that it was a pull-out. I had just found my bedroom. Well, I thought, it wasn't big but it would do perfectly. I could finally get the boys out of that hell hole.

I heard a knock at the door and looked up to see the candy counter girl standing in the doorway with a big smile on her face.

"Please come in," I said.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Martin," she said. "I hear that you are the new attraction in the lounge. London told me about your audition and I can't wait to hear you sing. Oh, my name's Maddie by the way. If you need to know anything, just ask me, London, or Esteban. If you need help with anything, one of us is usually always here."

"Please call me Carey," I said. "And, now that you mention it, there is something. Do you babysit?"

"Yes. You have children?"

"Twin boys. Twelve years old."

"If I'm free, I'll be happy to help out. Mr Moseby asked me to remind you not to leave before he has a chance to work out a schedule for you."

"Thanks," I said. "I'm ready to go now." I went around turning off lights. I closed the door to make sure that it was locked, then we took the elevator to the lobby. At the desk, I turned in the key. As I saw Mr. Moseby talking to a guest, I sat on one of the couches waiting for him to be free.

This left me with time to think. Sometimes everything goes wrong and you lose your faith. You think that there's no God. Then a day like today comes along and you can't understand how you could have doubted. Thank you God.

I looked up and Mr. Moseby was standing in front of me.

"Carey," he said. "Let's go back to my office so that we can iron out our transition. I am hoping that we can have you up and running by next Friday. This will give you ten days to get ready.

"We start tomorrow," he continued. "The photographer will be here to take publicity shots for the press release, the window signs, and the lobby display. Dress accordingly. I will also have your credit card for the clothing allowance so you can start getting your wardrobe ready. Tomorrow I will see what we can do to get up a schedule for rehearsal time with the band and choose a song list."

"One last thing," he said. "I went over your forms and I couldn't help but notice that you listed three dependents on your W4 form. You have children?"

"Two boys—twins," I said. "Twelve years old. Which reminds me, could you possibly have the queen bed changed to two twin beds?"

"No problem, I'll have Arwin see to it," he said. "These boys. I hope that they are well-behaved; I won't have them disturbing the guests."

"Don't worry Mr. Moseby. I'll control them," I said with trepidation.

I thanked Mr. Moseby again and went out the main door. The doorman came up to me.

"Can I get you a cab, Mrs. Martin?"

"Yes, please," I said. "How do you know my name?"

"The way Moseby is running around telling everyone who will listen about the shrewd deal he made in hiring a cabaret singer, it spread like wildfire throughout the hotel," he said. "My name is Ralph, by the way." A cab pulled up to the front and he escorted me down the steps and into the cab. I thanked him and gave the driver the address. I sat back and for the first time since I got up, let my mind go blank.

A/N: To all those who were kind enough to send reviews, thank you. It is heartening to read that your time has not been completely wasted. The tone of these reviews were all very upbeat. However, I find it difficult to believe that there isn't anybody out there who doesn't have his/her Zippo lighter ready to flame me. I welcome all reviews.


	5. Chapter 5

How We Got Here

by Grifflekin

Disclaimer: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. If I did, they'd have had haircuts by now.

Chapter Five:

Zack and Cody P.O.V

"Hey," Zack said, "it's 3:15 and Mom isn't home and the car is still here. It's still in the same parking space it was in this morning."

"Maybe she went food shopping," Cody said. "She'll probably be home any minute now. We may as well do our homework while we wait."

"I wonder how her interview went," Zack said as he turned on the TV, pointedly ignoring Cody's homework suggestion.

"She'll tell us when she comes in. Be ready to cheer her up when she tells us about it." Cody was always the thoughtful one.

"Hey, Codes," Zack said. "It's almost four and she isn't home yet. I'm getting hungry."

"All you can think about is your garbage gut? Aren't you the least bit worried?" Cody squeaked.

They heard the key turn in the door and it opened. Carey entered with a smile on her face and took off her coat. Both boys ran to her and were rewarded with a hug.

"Mom? What's for dinner. I'm starving," Zack said. Cody gave him a punch in the arm.

"Ouch," Zack said. "That really hurt," Zack said and attempted to hit him back.

"Boys, boys, boys stop that!" Carey said. "I can't have you two fighting. I need you to be my little men. Your attitudes have to change. Now, go sit in the kitchen—I have a lot to tell you." Carey followed the boys and sat across from them.

"Mom, how did the interview go?" Cody was always one to get to the point.

Carey's P.O.V.

"I got the job!" I said. "This is going to be a big opportunity for the three of us. I'm getting paid a good salary and all the benefits. The part that affects you two is that as a part of the deal, we get our own suite on the 23rd floor of the Tipton Hotel. All I'm telling you is that it comes with a 31 inch plasma TV." For a moment I thought that I'd given birth to two Cheshire cats. Both boys started to ask questions at once while jumping up and down in their seats.

"Before I go on," I said. "We should arrange for dinner. We wouldn't want Zack to fade away from starvation. So what will it be? Do we order pizza, or do we go out to eat?

"Out to eat," they replied in unison.

"Okay, so get your coats and let's get a move on."

We went to the little diner where I was working over the objections of my two little men who opted for the local burger emporium.

"This is a celebration and I will not do it over a greasy burger and overcooked fries," I said. I escorted them to a table and then went to the back room to speak to the boss. I explained to him the position I was in now and due to the fact that I only had ten days to get ready with rehearsals and moving, I would have to leave without giving notice. He wished me all the luck in the world and hugged me so tightly that my feet came up off of the floor.

"You know, Phill," I said. "Helen has been working part time but she really needs a full time job. She's here now. Why don't you let me tell her to take my schedule?"

"Well," the boss said. "She's no Carey Martin, but I think she'll do okay. Go ahead and tell her."

"I'm here with my sons for dinner and when she comes to the table, I'll tell her."

I went back out and saw the terrible two sitting quietly looking over the menu and chomping on bread sticks. I sat down and Helen came over to take our orders.

"What, did Phill put a crowbar into his wallet and give you a raise? How can you afford to eat here?" She asked, smiling.

"Helen," I said. "Sit for a spell. It's not busy and I have something to tell you."

She sat and I told her about my new job and that I would no longer be able to work there and that she was to take my shift starting the next day.

"Now take our orders, bring them into the kitchen, and thank the Old Goat." She took our orders and went to the back.

While I was waiting for our food to come I used the time to fill the boys in on what had to be done in the next ten days. It was a good thing that Wednesday was the last day of school before spring break. This gave us time to move and get them into the new school. I then cautioned them as to a code of behavior that they must follow because any bad behavior on their part could result in my being fired, and then where would we be? I made Mr. Moseby the ogre, telling them that he would not stand for any hooliganism in his hotel.

Helen brought out our orders and the boys were shocked to see that I'd ordered a burger deluxe after refusing to take them to the burger place. I laughed my head off.

During dinner, we discussed what I expected of them. I tried to put the fear of God and Moseby into them and all I got was a chorus of "yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Look, Mom, we know enough not to screw this up," Cody said. "Right, Zack?"

"Duh," Zack replied.

We finished our dinner, I paid the check and we left. The weather was mild and the walk back to the apartment was short.

"Okay boys," I said, "did you do your homework?" I asked this knowing full well what the answer would be.

"I did mine while we waited for you while Zack watched TV and complained about being hungry," Cody replied.

"You know," Zack said. "You disgust me."

"Cody, get ready for bed. Zack, do your homework." I said automatically. I went to the stove and put on water for tea. When it was ready, I took it to the table where Zack was seated reluctantly doing his homework, and took three sheets of his looseleaf paper. I sat down and began to make a list of what had to be done.

Tuesday:

Get car fixed. (first thing).

Dress for photos.

Get to hotel by 2:00 pm.

Get money for wardrobe

Rehearsal schedule?

Ask London and Mattie about local boutiques.

"Finished my homework, Mom," Zack said.

"Milk and cookies?" I asked.

"Ya think?"

"Go see if your brother is still up and if he wants some."

So Zack came out of the bedroom with a smiling Cody in tow. They sat at the table and I got out some sugar wafers and poured some milk into their jelly jar glasses. As soon as they finished, I kissed them on the heads, sending them off to bed with a "look at my little men; they're growing up," which elicited grunts from the Terrible Two. I just love embarrassing them. It never gets old.

A/N: Please push the little button below. It's your feedback that keeps me writing.


	6. Chapter 6

How We Got Here

by Grifflekin

Disclaimer: I do not own TSLOZAC.

Chapter Six

Third person P.O.V.

"Boys, it's time to get up. You'll be late for school. Breakfast in a minute," Carey yelled.

She went to the pantry and got out the box of pancake mix and had to go to her hiding place to get out the bag of chocolate chips that she had to hide from Zack. Then to the fridge to get the milk and eggs. Put the griddle on the stove, and turned on the gas. Took out a bowl and mixed the batter. Not hearing a sound from the boys' room, she went over and opened the door. Two boys. Twins. Twelve years old. Still asleep. Time for drastic action. At the kitchen sink, she turned on the cold water and filled two glasses. Returning to the boys' room, she pulled off their covers and proceeded to pour the cold water. Zack was lying on his back, so he got it on his chest. Cody was on his side; a neck shot was appropriate.

Now she knew what a chorus of scorched cats sounds like. It almost made her feel guilty but not quite.

"Get up, you two," she said. "Breakfast is almost ready."

The boys dressed and came out of the bedroom looking like two foot stomping, chest beating, angry, wild, wet gorillas, that is, until they smelled the pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes.

"Zack, get the milk and syrup."

Zack went to the counter to get the milk and brought it to the table. He then went to the refrigerator to get the syrup. A broad grin spread across his evil face turning it into the look of a demon as he opened the freezer and took out a handful of ice cubes. Cody saw his brother's face and tried to hold back a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Carey asked. She was seated at the table with her back to Zack and chose this time to take a sip from her coffee mug as she felt a sudden chill resulting from ice cubes sliding down under the back of her collar and nestling at the small of her back. The end result was coffee spraying from her mouth across the table.

"Burn!" yelled Cody. "You know, it's not often that I can say that I'm proud to be your brother, but this is one of those times."

Carey bounced up and down until she was able to dislodge the melting ice cubes of revenge from her back. Her face went from "wet hen" to a smile.

"Okay, boys," she said. "You got me back, but be assured that this will cost you three 'my little men' in public. Now finish your pancakes and go to school."

She put away the milk and syrup and cleaned up the table. The boys put on their jackets and picked up their backpacks. She gave them lunch money and kissed each on the forehead as she ushered them to the door.

"I don't know how late I'll be, so do your homework right away and then and only then, Zack, can you watch TV. I'll leave money for pizza in case I'm not home by six. Behave; no fighting."

There was a chorus of "Yeah, yeah, yeah" .

Carey poured herself another mug of coffee and sat down on the sofa with her legs tucked under her. Her mother used to say: "I hope that when you grow up, you will have children just like you. Then you will understand why I'm suffering."

Her mother was wrong. From Carey's experience, this curse did not apply. In spite of all their shenanigans, they have been a joy. There had definitely been hard times, but now, Thank God, and Marion Moseby, their hard times were over, and Carey intended to enjoy her two monsters every second of every day.

The phone rang.

"Hello? Yes hello, Mr. Moseby...the photographer will be in at 2:00? Okay, I'll try to get in by 1:00. Thank you."

Okay, she thought, first things first. Put on jeans and sweat shirt. Get coat and go out to car. Call Triple A.

The truck came and jump-started the car. The mechanic checks and discovers that Carey left the lights on and that that drained the battery. He told her to run the car for half and hour before turning it off again. So she did, and then she ran back inside to shower and dress so that she could get back into the car and drive to the Tipton. She found parking three blocks away.

She walked into the lobby at 11:50. _Wow, that was good time_, she thought. She got to the front desk and asked the clerk for the keys to her suite.

"You must be Mrs. Martin," he said. "Okay, here are two keys, and if you need more, just let me know." He pushed a button on the back of the counter. "If you'll have a seat, Mr. Moseby will be right with you."

Before she could get to a seat, Mr. Moseby came out of his office. "Carey, you're early," he said. "Please come into my office. I have everything ready for you."

She sat alongside his desk as he walked around it and sat.

"Before you sign your contract—" he said, "a few additional things I want to cover with you."

_Uh-oh, here it comes,_ she thought.

"Because of the boys, we are increasing your medical plan to cover them. Also we are increasing your room service allowance by $400 a month. That should help. Feel free to avail yourself of the many attractions such as the pool, the sauna, et cetera. As long as they aren't crowded. The guests always come first, you understand."

"Do you have a car?" he asked.

"Yes, a 1999 Honda Accord."

Moseby reached into his desk and pulled out a decal and wrote her name on it with a special pen. "Place this on the inside of the rear window on the left side. We have a multi level garage on the south corner of the next block. Your assigned parking space is #212 on the second floor. Here are the medical cards for your sons. Please fill them out and return them to me. A bit of advice—I would suggest that you fill out a new W4 withholding form and claim no dependents. This will result in less take home pay, but keep in mind that the cost of your suite and room service allowance is taxable and you would have to make up the difference at tax time."

"Also," he continued, "You will be working from Wednesday to Sunday and have Mondays and Tuesdays off. The first show will start at 7:00 and the last will start at 10:00. This schedule may be changed as needs require. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes," she said, "Could you pinch me so that I'll know if I were only dreaming?"

"Oh, pish posh," Moseby said. "I feel like I'm taking advantage of you. Now, please sign both copies. I've already signed them. Keep one for your records. Here is a debit card. It has a current balance of $2300. That includes your first monthly payment. Call the number on the back and they will activate it and assign a pin number for your account."

"Now," he continued. "I have an appointment with the band leader at 1:00 and I'll see what we can do to set up rehearsals. Carey, welcome to the Tipton family."

Carey left the office and checked her watch. It was 12:30. she had an hour and a half until her appointment with the photographer. As she had phone calls she had to make, she went up to her suite. When she arrived, she found the door open and a tall skinny guy in blue coveralls carrying out the mattress and box spring of the queen bed which he had put out in the hallway.

"You must be Mrs. Martin," he said. "I'm Arwin. Mr. Moseby ordered the bed to be changed to twin beds. I also took the liberty of bringing in two extra chests for the bedroom. They were lying around in the basement doing nothing so I thought that with two boys, you'll need the extra storage for yourself. If you look in there, you'll see that they fit in nicely."

"Please Arwin, call me Carey," I could kiss you. That was exactly what I needed. I noticed that storage space is at a premium." Arwin blushed at the mention of the kiss.

"I'll be in and out of here this afternoon to remove the old bed frame and put in two twins and the bedding and to hook up the cable. After that, I'll show you how to block programming to protect young minds."

"I have some personal calls to make, but I won't get in your way."

"Yes, okay, the phone has already been hooked up so just dial 9 for an outside line. I believe that there's a Boston phone book in the night stand in the bedroom. If you need anything, the operator can locate me."

Carey went into the bedroom and got the phone book. She turned to the Municipal Blue Pages and looked up the Board of Education and dialed the number. She was connected to the registration office to get information about transferring the boys. After answering basic questions she was directed to the Bruckner Middle School. All she had to do was go there and fill out the registration forms. They would call the old school and have their records forwarded. She would receive the schedule by mail before the start date. She took down the address of the new school. She had just enough time left to go get the forms from the school and return in time for her appointment.

Carey made it back just in time and had to endure three hours of makeup, hairstyling, and posing. She was glad to get it over with.

Zack and Cody got back to the apartment at about 3:20 and went to the kitchen table. They found the $20 bill as promised along with a note from Mom:

Do your homework and then watch TV. Be good. Don't Fight. No noise. Order Pizza.

Love you,

Mom.

"You know what we should do, Zack?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zack said. "Homework."

"No, I have a better idea."

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I know you want to hear more about the Terrible Two, and the next chapter will be full of them.


	7. Chapter 7

How We Got Here

by Grifflekin

Disclaimer: I do not own SLOZAC. Ain't mine, never will be.

Chapter Seven

A cab pulled up to the Tipton and the Diminutive Duo bounced out of it like rubber balls and went to the main entrance. On entering the lobby, their eyes became saucers and they ceased to breathe as they took in the splendor.

"Hey, Codes, Do you see the size of this place?" Zack said.

"This is almost as big as our little league field," Cody replied, getting his breathing back to normal.

"Oh, wow, look at the hot blond at the candy counter. Follow me and listen up good and learn how to handle women," Zack bragged.

"Maddie saw the two approach the stand and thought _Oh my God, look at those two. They are adorable. If only they were older or I was younger. They're going to be heart breakers._

"What will you have," she said, grinning from ear to ear.

"You as my wife, sweet thang," Zack replied.

"Aren't you being a little forward not to mention out of your league? We haven't even met and already we're married. By the way, my name is Maddie."

"My name is Zack Martin," Zack said. "Get used to it, because when you marry me, you'll be a Martin."

Maddie began to laugh and couldn't stop herself. Zack's face turned red and he felt a punch to the arm.

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Cody asked.

"This is your future brother-in-law and my twin brother, Cody. I'm the better looking twin, and the girls dig me," Zack said, with his chest puffed out.

"Is he always like this?" Maddie asked.

"Pretty much," Cody replied. "But you don't have to worry about him; he's harmless."

Zack gave Cody his "I'll get you later," look. Just then a black haired Asian girl came up to the counter.

"Has my Teen Vogue arrived yet?" she asked.

"Yes," Maddie said. "It just came. By the way, these two are Zack and Cody. They're Carey's twins."

"Twins," London mused. "Does that mean that they're the same age?"

The boys looked at each other and Maddie. All three shook their heads.

"I think it's about time you two found your mother. She just finished with her photo shoot and I think she went up to the suite." Maddie said. She looked around the lobby, spotted Esteban, and called him over.

He came to the counter and said, "How nice, Little Blond Peoples."

"These are Carey's kids," Maddie said. "Could you please take them up to 2312? I think Carey's there."

"Follow me, Little Peoples," he said as he led the boys to the elevator.

"Codes," Zack said. " 'Little Peoples' is just as bad as 'My Little Men.' "

The elevator stopped at the 23rd floor and he ushered them to the left. When they came to 2312, Esteban knocked at the door. "Just a minute," the boys heard their mother say. When she got to the door, she looked through the spy hole and saw Esteban's smiling face and she opened the door. She was unprepared for what she saw. Two boys. Twins. Twelve years old, with guilty looks on their faces.

"Thank you, Esteban," Carey mumbled as she grabbed the two by the ears and dragged them in, shutting the door with her foot.

"What are you two doing here?" she demanded. "I told you to do your homework, watch TV and order pizza. I said nothing about taking dangerous trips by yourselves."

"We missed you, Mommy," they said in unison.

"Put a sock in it," she said. "Zack, you should know better than to drag your poor brother into another of your harebrained schemes."

"Not guilty, mom, honest," Zack said, "It was Cody's idea. I tried to stop him, but he was too much for me to handle."

"Cody Jeremy Martin, you are the last one I would have expected to pull an irresponsible Zack stunt. What do you have to say for yourself?" she demanded.

_Boy, I stepped in it now_, he thought. _She never uses three names unless she is really really mad._ He was used to hearing Zachary Connor Martin, but never _his_ name. He became frightened and his lower lip began to quiver.

"I'm sorry, Mommy; please don't be mad at me. You told us about this place and we were curious and couldn't wait!" he said as he began to sob. This was too much for Carey. The quivering lip, the sobs, the tears, the sad expression on his face. The cute factor was enough to melt an iceberg. He could have saved the Titanic had he been on board. She grabbed Cody and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Don't cry, honey" she said. "Mommy isn't all that mad. I suppose it was my fault not telling you that I planned to bring you here tomorrow after school."

"Oh, sure," Zack said. " I do something and it's 'you're grounded. No TV, no PlayStation, no allowance, no nothing. He does something and he gets a hug and an apology? Why do I get stomped and he's given the 'get out of jail free' card?"

"Cody never did anything bad unless you lured him into it and got him into trouble through your bad example. So while you wallow in self-pity, I might as well continue in the Monopoly vein. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to jail."

"And I don't have enough money to bail you out, so you can stay there," Cody muttered and to add insult to injury, he stuck his tongue out at his brother and winked while still performing manufactured hiccuppy sobs.

_I knew it, _Zack thought, _it was all an act. Gosh, he's good. Well, he learned from the best. I should be proud of mu accomplishments. _

"Now that you two are here," Carey said "Would you like a tour of our grand suite?"

Both boys nodded and the first thing that they spied was the big screen TV on the shelf and they made a bee line for it. Before, their eyes were the size of saucers. Now, if possible, they upgraded to salad plates. It's a wonder that their eyeballs did not fall to the floor.

"Wow, a cable box," Cody exclaimed, jumping from foot to foot. "Mom, we have cable!"

"Yes, but don't get too excited. Arwin, the hotel engineer, went over it with me and we blocked some channels and all movies that were not rated G, so to see them, you would need my password to override the block and you'll never get it."

"Cody," she continued. "Stop jumping and follow me before you leave a puddle on the carpet. The bathroom is this way."

Carey opened the door, reached in and turned on the light, quickly getting out of the way of a bouncing Cody. She shut the door and waited for him to come out. Five minutes, no Cody. She knocked at the door. "Cody, are you okay?"she called. No answer. All of a sudden, the bedroom door opened and a hyper Cody catapulted from within, shouting "Zack! Zack, wait into you see our room! It's huge!" Cody had found the door that led from the bathroom to the bedroom.

Zack stopped venerating the TV and followed Cody into the bedroom. Carey followed, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed as the boys inspected their new environment with yelps of glee as they jumped form bed to bed and looked through all the drawers and went over every nook and cranny.

Carey checked her watch. It was a little past 6:00. Time to rein in the Bucking Broncos and corral them at the kitchen table. "Dinner time, boys," she said. She went to the drawer near the stove and took out the room service menu and gave it to them. Zack read over Cody's shoulder as he licked his lips. Cody raised his eyebrows as he read.

"I'll have the chef's salad with a mild vinaigrette," Cody said, "and a ginger ale."

"Big surprise," Zack opined." I'll have a bacon burger deluxe with bleu cheese and a lemon Coke."

Carey wrote down the orders and added a Chicken Francese with spaghetti on the side and a ginger ale. She went to the phone and placed the order.

Carey then turned to the boys and said, "Time for us to have a serious talk while we wait for room service. I'll talk, you two will listen. I've already told you that this is a great opportunity for us. We could have a wonderful life here, but a good bit of this depends on you treating everyone with respect and consideration. Now I'm not foolish enough to believe that you two are angels, but I do expect you to act appropriately while in the hotel. You have not met Mr. Moseby yet. He is a very kind, but extremely proper man who I can see will not put up with any nonsense. Aside from him, you will treat all hotel employees with dignity and respect. They have enough trouble with obnoxious tourists who are paying guests. Say 'Please,' 'Thank you,' even 'Can I help you with that?' If you have a problem with anyone you can be polite and then tell me and I will be the sole judge and jury and take appropriate action."

The door bell rang.

"That was fast," Carey said. "Looks like dinner's here. Cody, can you get the door please?"

Cody went to the door and opened it and was greeted with "Hello, my name is Marion Moseby," Moseby said in a big booming voice. "I'm the manager of this hotel. Is your mother here?"

"Please come in, sir; she's right inside," Cody replied, grasping and shaking the man's offered hand and stepping aside to permit entry. _He's not so mean as mom made him out to be_, he thought. "My name is Cody."

"Ah, there you are Carey, and this young man must be Zack." He shook the boy's hand. "They must drive you crazy. However do you tell them apart?"

"You don't know the half of it," Carey said. She regretted saying this as soon as it left her mouth. She didn't want to give Moseby the wrong idea.

"Be that as it may, I wanted to tell you that the band leader will be here tomorrow to discuss your song list and to arrange for rehearsals through the week. He'll be here at 3:00pm. With that said, I'll bid you three good evening and call it a day." Moseby said.

Cody went to the door and opened it for Moseby as he left. "Thank you, sir," he mewled. Cody shut the door.

"Suck up," Zack sneered.

"You see," Carey said, "that is exactly what I was talking about before. Cody was only showing Mr. Moseby the respect and courtesy that he is due."

"He was just kissing his a—"

"Zack!" she yelled, cutting him off before he could finish. "It's time you learned a lesson from your brother."

Unknown to the three occupants of suite 2312, Moseby was standing at the door with his ear pressed against it and his hand over his mouth, trying almost in vain to stop laughing out loud. He knew that he was going to take a good deal of joy in the antics of those two. Little did he realize the fun he would have in the ensuing years. Just then he heard the elevator door open and a room service cart come out, being pushed by a waiter. Best to catch the elevator before the door closed lest his secret be discovered. He put his finger over his lips as a signal to the waiter to be mum. The waited nodded as Moseby disappeared into the elevator and was gone.

Carey was still berating them when the doorbell rang again.

"Saved by the bell," Zack said as he jumped up to answer the door. The waiter rolled in the cart and handed the check to Carey. She took it from his little tray along with the pen that was with it, added a modest tip, signed it, returned it to him without the pen, and thanked him. He nodded as he took it. "Just leave the cart outside the door when you're finished. Thank you, ma'am." He exited the suite.

While Carey busied herself moving the contents of the cart to the table, she took the opportunity to fill the boys in on what they were going to do the next morning.

"First you have to get together all your school books and then we go to your school to turn them in. It's a good thing you didn't do your homework since you won't be going to class. Boy, I never thought I'd say that. Ever. From there we go to your new school to register you so you can start a week from Monday without losing any time. Next will be Stop and Shop to pick up sodas, juice for Cody, milk, tea, coffee, bread, cold cuts, etc. Also we need a lot of empty boxes so we can move. Enough for now, eat."

They sat and began to eat. The conversation became normal. Normal meaning that the boys were sniping at each other. Cody decided that he'd get even for being called a suck up and kiss a--.

"That was really cool of you with the candy counter girl. 'Sweet thang' and smooth remarks about marriage. She put you in your place. She laughed at you. I never saw that shade of purple before on a human face, well, your face anyway."

"Zack," Carey said. "I'll let that slide for the moment." From the hangdog look on his face she felt that all she did was pick on him. _Lighten up, Carey_, she thought. "Cody, that was very mean of you. IF Zack did something like that, you'd be crying by now. Did I ever tell you about the boyfriend I had in high school?"

This was met with "Not another boyfriend story!" from the peanut gallery.

"The point is that you are twins and they say that twins have a special bond. When one is sad or hurt, the other can feel his pain."

"Yeah, mom,"Zack said. "Remember the time Cody broke his leg?"

"Zack, Cody broke his leg because you landed on it."

"And I knew it right away," Zack said. "That _is _strange."

It was all that poor Carey could do to keep her composure. It would not do to break out laughing in front of them. She'd lose any control she still had over them. The cuteness factor was deadly.

"You really like Mattie, Zack, don't you?"

"Duh."

"We'll you're going to spend a lot of time with her. I've arranged for her to babysit when I have to work late."

"Hey Codes," Zack said. "Do you suppose she knows how to play 'Truth or Dare'?"

The boys faced each other and exchanged a high five as Carey came up in back of them and smacked them on the heads. She quickly retreated to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and stuffing it into her mouth to suppress the fit of laughter that exploded violently from her. When you add adorable to cute you're doomed. When her fit subsided, she splashed cold water on her face, dried it and left the bathroom.

"It's getting late and we have a lot to do tomorrow, so let's clean up here and get going back to the apartment," she said, when she got back to the table.

The boys moved everything from the table to the service cart and rolled it out of the suite. Carey looked around to make sure that everything was neat and in place. They put on their coats, shut the lights and left the hotel.

The walk to the car took them past Buckner Middle School.

"Way cool," Cody said. "It's so neat and clean-looking!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zack said, sneering. "It's still a school."

They continued the walk to the car in silence and the drive back to the apartment was uneventful. As luck would have it, Carey found a parking space in front of the house.

After talking off their coats, Carey asked if they wanted milk and cookies. Stupid question. Zack took out the milk; Cody got the glasses; and Carey got the cookies from her hiding place. It didn't make a difference when they saw her secret place because she wouldn't be using it any more.

"Zack, you better not have ice cubes in your hand," she said, not turning around to look. She heard a clinking sound as Zack dropped the ice cubes into the sink."

"You see?" Zack said. "She _does_ have eyes in the back of her head."

She smiled. One for Carey. Zero for Zack.

They finished the cookies and milk and put the glasses in the sink.

"Go brush your teeth and get ready for bed," she told them.

Carey set up the coffee maker. It was going to be a long night. She went into the boys' room, kissed them good night and tucked them in.

She went back to the kitchen and poured herself a mug of coffee. Sitting down at the table, she began to organize her thoughts.

First things first. How to move some things they would need for the next few days. There were five suitcases in the hall closet. After taking them out, she brought them into the living room. Going over to the TV, she turned the cart around and disconnected the PlayStation and the DVD player and moved them to the couch together with the A/B switch and wiring. Next, came the games and DVDs from the bottom shelf. She looked at the pile on the couch and decided on a large suitcase. Placing it on the couch and opening it, she decided that because electronics were going to be in it, she needed to pad the insides of the bag. Entering her room and taking the contents of her sweater drawer, she began to line the bottom of the bag and place the electronics over the sweaters. She was surprised that she could get all the DVDs and games in and still have plenty of room left. She put all of her CDs in and added her heavy winter coat, closed the suitcase and toted it to the front door. She continued in this manner until all of the things for the next two or three days were packed and at the door. She brought the bags out to the car and loaded most of them into the trunk. It was 3:00am. She set her alarm for 7:00am and went to sleep. Tomorrow would be another day.


End file.
